Tube socket



April 26, 1932'. F. R RICHARDZ TUBE SOCKET Filed Sept. 19, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet III INVENTOR fo/ATB EB C hora z ATT'ORNEY April 26, 1932. F. R. RICHARDZ TUBE SOCKET Filed Sept. 19, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR Fo/A e/ fchardz.

ATTORNEY 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet F. R. RICHARDZ TUBE SOCKET Filed Sept. 19,

A ril 26, 1932.

INVENTOR /o//(2 B E/c/xya z AT'i'ORNEY Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLKE R. BICHARDZ, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA TUBE socimr Application filed September 19, 1927. Serial No. 220,588.

; tubes which may be manufactured cheaply lines IIIIII of Fig. 2.

and readily, in the large quantities required for commercial production.

Other objects of my invention will become apparent on reading the following specifica= tion taken in connection with the appended drawings wherein Figure l is a plan view of a flexible support embodying the principles of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view in elevationthereof,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the Fig. 4 is a plan view of a flexible support embodying a modification of my invention,

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the same modification,

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of a contact member which may be employed in the socket porte fshown in Figs. 4 and 5,

s a radio tube sup- Fig.8 is a plan view of still another form of my inan' elevational view of the same F ig; 10 is a' detail of aplateof insulating material'adap'ted t form P of h structure of the modification of my invention shown in Figs. Sand 9,;

" Fig.Z1'1- is adetail yiew of another pm. of

.45 g shown'in Fig. 10, 7

" Fig. 12 1'i'sja'n elevational view of a contact insulation adapted to "co operate with that -member used, in the modification shown in *Figs; 81; and. 9,- and showing the same before Fig. 13 is an elevational view of the same contact member taken at right angles to that of Fig. 10 and showing said member as finally installed in place.

The cathode filaments of ordinary radio is subjected to mechanical shock and jar.-

Furthermore, the electrodes of such tubes commonly possesses considerable elasticity and it is found that mechanical vibrations emanating external to the tubes are readily transmitted through the mounting sockets of the prior art to these electrodes, and that they have an effect on the current flow through the tubes, of such a character that current variations of corresponding frequency will be produced in the output circuits. Since, usually, such radio tubes are connected in amplifiers, these current variations are magnified many-fold and frequently are reproduced in the telephone receiver or loud speaker, which is arranged to transform the electrical variations into sound in-such force that the distributing noises drown out the signals being received.

In accordance with my invention,- these difliculties are overcome by mounting the radio tube (in a socket which is "supported from a sub-base which supports the electrical line terminals, and which is, itself, supported on an extremely flexible springof peculiar shape, from the panel on which it istdesired to mount the tube. By this means, it has been;

found possible to prevent any breakage of the filament from. mechanical fshocksof ordinary magnitude to the mounting pan el,'and also to prevent thetransmission of .inechanical vibrations in any appreciable amount;.

from the panel to the tube. a With the foregoinglobjects and results in mind, a specific. structure emb dyingQmyin "vention is shown in Figs. 1', 2 'and'3 fin whifch a socket member 1] is provided "with holes 2,

adapted to receive the'prongs bra conventional radio tube type, well known in the Each of the holes 2"is providedlwithalrecess 3 at one side thereof which}extendsifromlthe l w r f e of e e z e i- 3 5 and 3, nearly to the upper face thereof. In

. each of the recesses 3, is inserted the end of a spring member 4: which may be of phosphor bronze and which is afiixed at its other end to a sub-base 5 by means of rivets 6. The end of member 4 may project downward from rivet 6 and act as a terminal 7 and may have a hole 8 or soldering lugs at the lower end thereof to provide a convenient soldering connection for line conductors.

The socket member 1 is rigidly supported from the sub-base 5 by means of a pillar 9 which may be an integral projection from member 1. Sub-base 5 may be fixed to pillar 9 by a screw 10. I

The sub-base 5 is supported on a re-entrant spring 12 to which it is fastened by the screw 10 in a manner which will be sufficiently evident from Figs. 2 and 3. The two ends of the spring 12 are fastened to an annular plate 13 which may be of insulating material and which is provided with screw holes 14, by means of which it maybe supported on' any desired panel 15 by a convenient means such as bolts 16 and nuts 17.

The spring 12 may conveniently be referred to as having the shape of the letter W and for ordinary detector tubes may conveniently be made of phosphor bronze strips ciable microphonic noises are caused to emanate from the electrical circuits of the tube.

Referring particularly to Figs. 4 and 5 which show another modification of my invention, a plate 21 of any suitable insulating material is provided with holes 22, properly spaced to receive the terminal pins of a radio tube. Contact springs 23 of the form shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7 may be affixed to the plate 21 by rivets 24 in proper position to engage the pins of a radio tube projected through the holes 22. Wires to be connected to the external circuits may be soldered to the connecting lugs 25 on springs 23.

Sprin s 23 may be stamped from bronze or other sultable metallic sheet. The tongues 23a and 236 are pressed outward from the body of the metal, and a hole 230 may be pro-' vided to facilitate connection of lead wires.

The plate 21' is supported by means of U- shaped springs 26 from rivets 27 in a main panel 28 upon which it is desired to mount the tube. Thisflpanel is provided with a circular hole29 of sufiicient size to receive the base of the radio tube and to permit it to move freely without rubbing. The springs 26 may be of phosphor bronze ribbon approximately 0.03 of a centimeter thick by 0.64 centimeters wide and may be attached to diametrically opposite corners of the plate 21. At the two other corners of'plate 21 may be attached stop members 30 which will limit the downward movement of plate 21 and permit the radio tube to be pushed home in its socket.

Figs. 8 to 13 show in detail still another modification of my invention. Referring particularly ,to Figs. 8 and 9, a radio tube support may be made by combiningan upper plate 31 shown in detail in Fig. 10 and a lower plate 32 shown in detail in Fig. 11 with a spring contact member 33 shown in detail in Figs. 12 and 13.

The upper plate 31 is provided with five holes 34, the centers of which have the same spacing as .the contact pins of a five-pin radio tube base. Each hole is flanked by a pair of diametrically opposite smaller holes 35. The lower plate 32 is provided with rectangular holes similarly spaced to the holes 3 1. The contact spring 33 is punched from phosphor bronze sheets which may be approximately 0.03 of a centimeter thick and 0.64 centimeter wide by 3.8 centimeters long. These are pressed up to the form shown in Fig. 12, the portion 36 being a tongue pressed downward from the middle portion of the strip. This is designed to act as a soldering lug to which lead wires may be connected.

The socket as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 may be assembled byinserting ,the spring 33 in the holes in the lower sheet 32 in the position shown in Fig. 9. The upper sheet 31 is then placed in position, thus retaining the spring 33 in position between the two sheets. The spring 33 is so proportioned that the distance between the curved portions 37 is less than the diameter of the pins of a radio base. When the latter is pushed home in this socket, therefore, good contact between ,the pins and the spring member 33 is assured. The plates 31'and 32 may be held together by rivets 38 or by any other suitable means.

While in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, I have described one practical embodiment of my invention, it will be evident that many modifications thereof may be made without departin from the principles which I have disclose I, therefore, desire that the claims should be limited only by their expressed terms and by the scope of the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vacuum tube mounting, means fo holding a vacuum tube, resilient means adapted to make contact with the sides of the terminals of said tube and connected to line terminals upon' said holding means, a panel having an opening in alignment with said holding means and a flat ribbon spring of substantially U-shape mounted underneath the panel and connected at one end to the underside of said panel and at its otherend to said holding means, the broader face of said ribbon being perpendicular to the plane of said U.

2. In a vacuum tube'mounting, means for holding a vacuum tube, resilient means adapted to make contact with the sides of the terminals of said tube and connected to line terminals upon said holding means, a panel having an openingwin alignment with said holding means and a plurality of flat phosphor bronze r'bbon springs of substantially U-shape mounted underneath the panel and connected at one end to the under side of'said panel and at their other ends to said holding means, the plane of said U being normal to the wider face of said ribbon.

3. In a vacuum-tube mounting, a panel having an opening therein ada ted to receive the base of a tube, a plate 0 insulating material located beneath said opening and having perforations therein adapted to receive the terminals of said tube, resilient means on said plate adapted to make contact with the sides of the terminals of said tube,

a plurality of flat-ribbon springs of substantially U-shape beneath said panel and connected at one end to said panel and at their other ends to said plate. 1

4. In a vacuum-tube mounting, a panel having an opening therein adapted to receive the base of a tube, a plate of insulating material located beneath said opening and having perforations therein adapted to receive the terminals of said tube, resilient means on said plate adapted to make contact with the sides of the terminals of said tube, a pair of flat-ribbon springs of substantially U-shape connected at one end to said panel and at .their other ends to sald plate at opposite ends of an axis of symmetry thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th day of September,

FOLK-E Ru RICHARDZ. 

